“The Blues” is a secular African-American musical genre that has had a significant impact on popular music. Blues songs deal with a wide range of issues and feelings, and they are at the heart of practically all American music that we hear. This genre established a template or guide for the artists and sounds we hear both past and present.
Gertrude ‘Ma Rainey’ Pridgett, commonly known as the Mother of Blues, was born in Columbus, Georgia, on April 26, 1886. Ma Rainey began her career at the Springer Opera House. Ma’s voice was powerful enough to get anyone up and dancing. She was able to go to performances and establish popularity among a diverse audience while doing what she loved: singing. She met her future husband, Will “Pa” Rainey while performing in these traveling performances, and the two formed the singing duo “Ma and Pa Rainey.”
Ma Rainey’s music was noteworthy because she was one of the first female Blues musicians to address issues about women’s sexuality and personal lives. Ma Rainey’s music tackled issues such as Black women’s pain, joy, romance, rage, and so on. Rainey’s songs were popular among bisexuals since she was openly bisexual and sang lyrics about her encounters with other women. Many people found Ma Rainey’s approach to blues to be unorthodox, but it was also praised for its sincerity. Her musical approach was especially significant for fusing vaudeville with true Southern blues. Although many of Rainey’s lyrics dealt with sexual encounters with males, some of her songs such as her 1928 hit “Prove It on Me Blues.” also addressed bisexuality and lesbianism.
Ma was a mentor to acts such as Bessie Smith, the famed blues singer, and the two were supposed to have had a sexual relationship. She is recognized with inspiring vocalists like Dinah Washington, Big Mama Thornton, and Janis Joplin later in their careers.
